On July 21, the Ministers of Agriculture reached agreement on the key elements of the new agriculture policy framework.

The framework was discussed during the Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture, which was held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The policy will be called the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which will come into effect April 1, 2018, and will be a five year investment of $3 billion.

The partnership will focus on six areas; Science, Research, and Innovation, Market and Trade, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change, Value- added Agriculture and Agri- Food Processing, Public Trust, and Risk Management.

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, shared his thoughts about the new policy.

"The Canadian Agriculture Partnership sets the direction for the future of the sector to help it continue to innovate, grow and prosper, and position Canada as a leader in the global economy. Together with the provinces and territories, I am committed to expanding business opportunities for our Canadian producers, ranchers, and processors, and strengthening the middle class."

Governments will continue to work closley with the industry as the Canadian Agriculture Partnership programs are developed and implemented.